Improvement in combination-locks



w-. BALDWINQ 2Sheets--Sheet1'.

Combination Lock. I

' Patented March 30, 1875.

WITNESSES u I )NVENTOR THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOT0.-LITH.39&41 PARK PLAGLN-Y- 2 Sheets Sheet 2. W. BALDWIN..-

6 (am I) i n a t i o n L o ck N0. 161,375, Patented M arcl 30,1 875.

FIG. 3.

WITNESSES INVE NTOR r m I WJW B 15 Jttarneys THE GRAPHIC C0.PHOTO.-LITH.39 8:41 PARK PlAOEJLY.

Unrrnn STATES Pn'rnnr @rrron.

WILLIAM BALDWIN, OF TIOGA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATIGN-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [61,375, dated March 30, 1875; application filed August 15, 1874.

(Lisa B.

- of the town and county of Tioga, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Bank-Lock, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to looks of maximum security for the doors of bank-vaults, safes, 850.; and it relates primarily to those locks in which one or more rotary tumblers are set by means of an external knob, and a dial concentric therewith, the tumblers being adjusted by means of the dial in different combinations.

The general objects of this invention are to provide any desired number of combinations in a very simple lock, and to preclude picking the look by hearing or feeling the contact of the fence with the tumblers, which is the mode of picking combination-locks most successfully practiced, and more feared than attempts to forcibly displace the spindle or other parts.

The present invention consists, first, in the employment or use of a forked arm carried by the rotary spindle, to arrest the fence temporarily and to engage with a clattering surface to disguise the contact of the fence with the tumblers,and to hold the spindle while th e fence is in mesh with the tumbler-notches. The invention consists, secondly, in the employment or use of a fence-lever, provided with a notched or corrugated plate or surface to clatter with a point or points of the fork, or its equivalent, in letting down the fence, to disguise its contact. As a supplement to this, that part of the fence-lever which comes in contact with the tumblers may be covered with some soft substance, so that there shall be no metallic click, which is vastly more distinguishable than any other sound, and by avoiding which the efficiency of the clicking provision is rendered more absolutely reliable. The invention consists, thirdly, in peculiar devices for releasing the fence periodically and re-elevating the same, and for disarrangin g the tumblers in the act of retracting the bolt or bolts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bank-lock illustrating this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, with the case and portions of the frame removed, representing the parts in the rela tive positions which they occupy when the bolt-slide is locked, and illustrating the operation of the fence-releasing and clattering. devices. Fig. 3 is a full back view, representing the parts in the relative positions which they occupy when the bolt-slide is unlocked, but still projected. Fig. at is a rear elevation, partly in section, representing the parts in the relative positions which they occupy after the bolt or bolts are retracted. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the fence-lever in a partiallyinverted position.

The external parts of this look are a knob, K, by which to rotate the spindle; a dial, D, which, in the illustration, is attached to the spindle and knob, and one or more verniers, V, to co-operate with the dial for multiplying the combinations byproviding any given number of fractional adjusting lines or spaces. The dial D is ordinary, and may be divided, as usual, into one hundred circumferential spaces or periods. By means of a single vernier, reading to thirty places, in combination with a dial of one hundred divisions, I am enabled to obtain nine million changes with two tumblers. With a Vernier reading to sixty the possibility of thirty-six million changes could be secured; but in this look provision for one million changes is considered amply sufficient, while the provision for multiplying the combinations indefinitely, or even to the extent above named, as in the illustration, in proportion to the number of tumblers, renders two tumblers sufficient for a first-class lock, and the employment of any greater number of tumblers is not contemplated in this invention.

Two tumblers, T T, are applied to the spindle within the lock-case, the same being of the form known as frictional tumblers, which are held in the positions to which they are set by means of friction-springs 8 s and are carried by the spindle through the medium of tappet projections t t t t (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) the first of which is mounted on a hub or enlargement on the spindle S, which forms the bearing of the tumblers, as shown in Fig. 5, and rotates freely therein, except when the tappet projections are in contact. Attached to the back of the hub h by means of a pivot is a cam or tappet-arm, O, which, by means of its pivot and a spring, 8 is rendered flexible in one direction. WVhen the spindle is turned in the opposite direction the tappet-arm or cam is supported rigidly by the engagement of its inner end with the spindle, and the spring 5 tends to hold it in this position. This tappetarm or'cam engages with a notch or projection,0, at one end of a sliding rod, which is carried by and forms a part of a compound horizontal slide, S to which the bolt or bolts are attached at its outer end 2. The movement of the sliding rod R, imparted by the tappet-arm or cam (J, retracts or forces back a spring-detent, y, by means of a projection, t'. The detent'g terminates in a head, h ,having a V- shaped lug to engage with a notched head, w, ona fence-lever, F, the latter carrying a fence composed of an arm or projection to engage with notches n in the peripheries of the tumblersT T Thefenceis thus dropped or allowed to fall against or toward the tumblers once in each revolution of the spindle in a given direction, as to the right in the illustration. The movement of the knob and spindle in the opposite direction does not affect the fence, and this is utilized in taking up and arranging the tumblers. When rejected by the tumblers, the fence is re-elevated at the next impulse of the sliding rod R by the engagement of an incline on the back of the projection of the head k with a corresponding incline on the back of the notched head as of the fence-lever. Behind the tumblers T T within the case the spindle S carries a forked arm, F which moves therewith at all times, and carries the fork f at its extremity. In the path of the fork f the fence-lever F is provided with a projection, 61, the face of which, opposed to the forkarm F is serrated, notched, or otherwise roughened, and the projections of the fork are adapted to engage therewith, so as to produce a clattering sound when the fence is dropped by the action of the cam O. The fence-arm 0 is, by preference, covered with oiled silk or other suitable soft material, as represented, in order that its contact with the peripheries of the tumblers may be muffled, and thus rendered less distinct; but the loud clattering sound produced in letting down the fence, as above described, effectually precludes the detection by sound or feeling of such contact, and thus precludes picking the lock in this way. This part of the operation of the lock is illustrated in Fig. 2, the parts being represented as at the beginning of the operation. When the notches are brought into register with the fence-arm 0 simultaneously with the release of the fence-lever by means of the cam O, the fence-lever drops or falls, and the fence-arm 0 enters the notches, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the fork-arm F now operates to receive the projection or notch-plate b, and, by meshing therewith, to prevent the displacement of the tumblers by accidental movement of the spindle. The bolt-slide S is now released, having previouslybeen secured in projected position by the notched head :20 of the fencelever engaging with the head 7L2 of the detent y carried by the bolt-slide. The bolts are retracted by a separate knob, and in this act the slide S is forced back, and arms or projections 02 and 1 carried thereby engage simultaneously with a lever-arm, m, on the fencelever, and with a projection, It, on the rear tumbler T, respectively.

The arm a, engaging with the lever-arm m, lifts the fence-lever toits elevated position. The arm or projection l, engaging with the projection It on the tumbler T, moves said tumbler sufficiently to effectually disarrange the notches relatively to each other. The relative positions of the parts in this condition of the lock are represented in Fig. 4-. When the bolt or bolts are again thrown and the boltslide S thus projected, the incline on the back of the projection of the head k of the detent y engages with the corresponding incline on the back of the notched head :0 of the fencelever F, and lifts the latter, and the two thus interlock automatically. The lock has now resumed the general condition illustrated in Fi 2.

This lock is of very simple construction, owing to the small number of the tumblers, and this is not accomplished at the sacrifice of security, but the utmost security is obtained by the masking operationof the clattering devices, and a multitudinous combination is effected by the vernier attachment.

The vernier attachment as an independent part of thisinvention is disclaimed.

The furcated point of the fork-arm is not essential with reference to the clattering op eration of this look, but its sole function is to so engage with the fence-lever as to stop or prevent any rotation of the spindle while the fence-arm is in the tumbler'notches.

The combination of the lock is changed 1n ordinary manner by holding the rotary friction-tumblers, successively, with notches 1n register, by means of a pin or key introduced in perforations, while the new combination 1s made up on the dial by turning the knob.

The following is claimed as new in thls 1nvention, namely:

1. The fork-arm F carried by the spindle within the lock, in combination with a fencelever, F, having an arm or projection, b, to engage therewith, substantially as herein described.

2. The fence-lever F, provided witha notched or corrugated plate, I), to clatter with a point or points in letting down the' fence, substantially as herein specified.

3. The combination of the yielding cam G on the spindle, the sliding rod R, carrying projections 0 i, the detent y, having a beveled head, 71?, and the fencelever F, having a notched and beveled head, 00, arranged and operating substantially as described, to periodically drop and to re-elevate and support the fence in the manner set forth.

l n and detent y, in combination with the fence-lever F, having an arm, m, and notched head 00, and the projection k on one of the tumblers for successively disengaging the fence and disarranging the tumbler-notches during the retraction of the bolt or bolts, as herein set forth.

WM. BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

J. SGHIEFFELIN, J r., G. W. FOSTER. 

